Hydraulic air-compressor and vacuum-producer



B. SKIDMORE, In. HYDRAULIC AIR COMPRESSOR AND VACUUM PRODUCER. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 12, I918.

1,392,855, Patented Oct. 4, 1921.,

\ w k jwezz/Zar BENJAMIN SKIDMOR-E, JR OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

HYDRAULIC AIR-COMPRESSOR AND VACUUM-PROIDIJ'CER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Oct. 41,1921.

Application filed August 12, 1918. Serial No. 249,499.

. To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BENJAMIN SKIDMORE, Jr., a citizen .of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydraulic Air- Compressors and Vacuum-Producers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in hydraulic air compressor and vacuum producers of the generaltype disclosed in my application Serial No. 216618, and the present invention has for one of its objects to provide improved means for removing aportion of liquid from a body or supply of liquid,and which means also operates to deliver air ora gaseous fluid into the said body or supply to replace the liquid removed therefrom.

A further object is to provide an improved apparatus of this character embodying a vacuum chamber and a compression chamber and means whereby liquid may be readily transferred from one of the chambers into the other chamber for creating a partial vacuum inone of the chambers or a compression in the other chamber by maintainmore fully described and claimed and shown in the'accompanying drawings illustrating this invention, and'in which:

Figure 1 is a viewpartly in vertical section'and partly in elevation ofan improved apparatus of the character constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention. v a

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 22 Fig. 1.

In the drawing, the apparatus is shown as embodying two reservoirs l0 and 11, preferably superposed, and which reservoirs are separated by means of a chamber or casing 12 which is preferably hollow, and is'provided with an opening 13, forming communication with the reservoir 10, and openings 1 1-15 forming communication with the reservoir 11, and by means of which openings liquid in thereservoir 10 may be, under certain conditions, transferred from the reservoir 10 through the casing 12 and into the reservoir 11, and a gaseous fluid or vapor, may, under certain conditions, be conveyed from the reservoir 11 through the openings 14-15 and opening 13 back into the reservoir 10 to replace the liquid removed from the latter.

In order to accomplish this operation there is provided within the casing 12 a reciprocating element 16 of a size in cross section to fill the casing and is of a length to cut oif, under predetermined conditions, communication between the openin 13 and the respective openings 14-45. ooperating with the element 16 and spaced longitudinally therefrom are elements 17-18 preferably in the form of piston heads, all of the elements 161718 being connected with a piston rod 19 slidable in a suitable bearing 20 by means of a crank 21 connected with the piston rod by means of a link 22. This crank 21 is rotated in any suitable manner, preferably from a motor 23, which latter also operates a pump, preferably of a centrifugal type, and which pump is adapted to withdraw the liquid from the reservoir 11 through the opening 25 and transfer the same by means of the pipe 26 back into the reservoir 10. 7

The elements 1718 are spaced on opposite sides of the element 16 and in such a position with respect thereto that the spaces between the element 16 and the respective elements 17-18 will be alternately moved into and out of communication with the opening 13 in the element 12 so as to receive liquid from the reservoir 10. These elements 161718 are also adapted during their reciprocating movement, to assume positions so that the spaces between thev element 16 and the respective elements 17-18 will be alternately moved into and out of communication, respectively, with the openings 14-15. When the elements are in the position shown in Fig. 1, the space between the elements 16 and 18 Will be in registration with the opening 13 to receive liquid from the reservoir 10, and the space between the elements 16 and 17 will be in communication with the opening 14 to discharge the liquid previously received in the space, into the reservoir 11. When this space is empty of liquid, air or gaseous fluid in the reservoir 11 will enter the space so that when theelements are moved so as to discharge the supply of liquid which has been trapped in the space between the elements 16 and1 8 through the opening 15 into the reservolr 11 the air or gaseous fluid which has been trapped in the spacebetween the elements 16 and 17 will be discharged into the I'BSGI'-:

a liquid thereiir This operation creates a suction or partial vacuum in the reservoir 11 which will be manifested in a pipe or passage 27, and the gaseous fluid or vapor which-- is delivered into the reservoirlO may be discharged therefrom through an outlet pipe 28. Aval-ve 29 may beprovided in the pipe 28, which, when closed, will permit the gaseous fluid or vapor to be compressed in the reservoir 10,- r I This operationis produced by means of thefact that the liquid in the reservoir 10 is maintained at a substantially constant level by' transferring the liquid from the "reservoir 11- back into the reservoir 10. 3O

hat is claimed as new is IJAn apparatus of the character 7 described embodylnga reciprocable element, a

reservoir for impounding a desired quantity offwa ter at a desired elevation above said element; said element operating to control the discharge of water from the said reser- QVOiI; a reservoir for receiving water discha'rged by the said element, said element alsooperating to withdraw fluid or vapor from the second recited reservoir and deliver the same into the first recited reservoir, and mechanism for imparting a reciprocating movement to the said element.

7 2. An" apparatus of the character de scribed embodying a reciprocable element, a

} reservoir for impounding a desired quantity of water at a desired elevation above said element, said element operating-to control the discharge of water from the said reservoir," a reservoir for receiving water dis. charged by the said element, said elementalso operating to withdraw fluid or vapor from the second recited reservoir and deliver the same into the first recited reservoir, and through the liquid in'the latter to be compressed, and mechanism for imparting a reciprocating movement .tothe said element.

3; An apparatus of the character described embodying a reciprocableelement, a

reservoir forimpounding a desired quantity of water" ata desiredelevatlon above said element; said element operating to control the dlscharge of water from the sa1d reservoir, a reservoir for receiving water discharged 'by-the sa1d element, sa1d elementtially constant level.

also operating to withdraw fluid or vapor from the second'recited reservoir and deliver the same into the first recited reservoir, mechanism for impartingwa, reciprocating movement to the said element, and means for maintaining the liquid in'the first recitedf reservoir at a, substantially. constant level.

4. Anapparatus of the character described embodying an element adapted for a forward and backward movement; a'reser voir for impounding a desired quantity of water at a" desired elevation above said ele1nent, sa'id element operating tj-odirectly and intermittently discharge predetermined quantities of water from the said reservoir and also operating to intermittently and directly deliverair or a gaseous fluid into the said reservoir to replace the liquid removed therefrom by thesaid elementmechanism for in'iparting a forward and backward movement to the said element; an d'mea ns otherthan thesaid element for maintaining the liquid inthe saidreservoir atasubstan- 5. An apparatus; ofthe character "de-' scribed embodying an element adapted for a 1 forward and backward movement, a reservoir for impounding a desired quantity of liquid atadesired elevation above said element, said element operatingto intermittently discharge predetermined quantities of the hquid from the said reservoir, 'a'reservoir for receiving the liquid discharged by said element, said element also operating to inter-' mittently withdraw predetermined quantities of fiuid or vapor from the second recited reservoir and deliver: the same into the first recited reservoir, and mechanism for: im-

parting aforward and backward movement to the said element.

6. An apparatus of the character .de-

scribed embodying an element a'daptedfor' a" forward and backward movement,' a reservoir for impounding a desired" quantity of liquid at a desired elevation above said-element,- said element operating to iintermit-g tently discharge predetermined quantities of" the liquid from the saidreservoir, 1a reser-' voir for receiving "theliquid discharged by said element, said element also operating to intermittently withdraw predetermined quantities of the fluid or.vapor from the second recited reservoir anddeliver the same into the first recited reservoir, and through the liquid in the latter tobe compressed, and

mechanism for imparting forwardwand backward movement to the sai'delement.-

7; An apparatus of the character. described embodylng an element ada t d f i forward and backward movement, reservoir for impounding a desired quantity of liquid at a desired elevation above said ele-' ment,'said element operating tdintermit tently discharge predeterminedquantities of the liquid from the said reservoir; a I reser voir for receiving the liquid discharged by said element, said element also operating to intermittently withdraw predetermined quantities of fluid or vapor from the second recited reservoir and deliver the same into the first recited reservoir, mechanism for imparting a forward and backwardmovement to the said element, and means other than the said element for transferring the liquid from the second recited reservoir into the first said reservoir to maintain the liquid in the latter at'a substantially constant level.

8. An apparatus of the character described embodying an element adapted for a forward and backward movement, a reservoir for impounding a desired quantity of liquid at a desired elevation above the element, a housing in which the said element operates, said housing having an opening forming communication with the reservoir and also having a plurality of discharge openings for the liquid, and means for imparting a forward and backward movement to the said element to cause'the same to open and close the first recited opening and alternately deliver predetermined quantities of the liquid to the said discharge openings, the said element also operating to alternately receive predetermined quantitics of fluid or vapor through the said discharge openings and intermittently deliver the same into the reservoir through the first recited opening in the housing.

9. An apparatus of the character described embodying an element adapted for a forward and backward movement, a reservoir for impounding a desired quantity of liquid at a desired elevation above the element, a housing in which the said element operates, said housing having an opening forming communication with the reservoir and also having a plurality of discharge openings for the liquid, means for imparting a forward and backward movement to the said element to cause the same to open and close the first recited opening and alternately deliver predetermined quantities of the liquid to the said discharge openings, and a reservoir for receiving the liquid from the said discharge openings, the said element also operating to alternately receive predetermined quantities of fluid or vapor through the said discharge openings and intermittently deliver the same into the first recited reservoir through the first recited openin in the casing.

10. n apparatus of the character described embodying an element adapted for a forward and backward movement, a reservoir for impounding a desired quantity of liquid at a desired elevation above the element, a housing in which the said element operates, said housing having an opening forming communication with the reservoir and also having a plurality of discharge openings for the liquid, means for imparting a forward and backward movement to the said element to cause the same to open and close the first recited opening and alternately deliver predetermined quantities of the liquid to the said discharge openings, a reservoir for receiving the liquid from the said discharge openings, the said element also operating to alternately receive predetermined quantities of fluid or vapor through the said discharge openings and intermittently deliver the same into the first recited reservoir through the first recited opening in the-casing, and means for transferring the liquid from the second recited reservoir back into the first recited reservoir to maintain the liquid in the latter at a substantially constant level.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification on this 8th day of August, A. D. 1918.

BENJAMIN SKIDMORE, J R. 

